Latest Articles

Awesome idea: Require a cycling test to get a driver’s license

As a cyclist, sharing the road with cars is scary, for obvious reasons: They’re gigantic metal objects moving fast enough to kill you. But as a driver, sharing the roads with cyclists is also kinda scary. Most drivers are good people who don’t want to kill anyone while they’re out doing errands, but they don’t […]

These bands are ditching tour buses for tour bikes and tour trains

Tour buses are basically synonymous with sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, and also that scene in Almost Famous that guaranteed you’ve still got “Tiny Dancer” in your head. But now some bands are ditching buses altogether. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a guy with a guitar who wants to get up on that […]

Meet the internet’s newest sexy science star, Mohawk Guy

Sure, ostensibly you stayed up to watch Curiosity land. But you just couldn’t keep your eyes off the handsome specimen with the star-spangled ‘hawk. Seven minutes of terror? Try seven minutes of HELLO, NURSE. As always, the internet means knowing you’re not alone in whatever you’re into, even if what you’re into is Inspector Gadget/Pokemon […]

Human Curiosity lands on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover is on the surface of the Red Planet -- a triumph of scientific discovery that survived incredible odds.

You will not be able to stop looking at this penis snake

Seriously, Nature, what are you ON?

‘The Queen of Versailles’ almost makes you feel sorry for the 1%. Almost.

The film's magic is its ability to make us realize that we're all human. But let's not forget, when the economy collapsed, some were more culpable than others.

Seven climate-change diseases to ruin your day

Climate change is creating favorable conditions for several (unpronounceable, gross) diseases.

Ask Umbra: Which cutting board is best, wood or plastic?

A reader asks about superior carving surfaces. Umbra cuts right to the chase.

Farming without water

As drought becomes increasingly common, more and more farmers will likely look to the ancient art of dry-farming as a solution. (It also makes for really flavorful produce!)

Investing in the grid: When the going gets tough, the tough get … creative

The U.S. electric grid is fragile, inadequate, and inefficient. Investing in grid modernization would clearly save American consumers tremendous amounts of energy and money. So why aren't we doing more of it?